“Kira?”
The sound cracked something open.
“My girl,” Irina said, her voice thin but clear. “Oh my God… I missed you so much.”
Kira broke. She rushed forward, then slowed, uncertain—until her mother opened her arms. They collided, clinging to each other, both crying. Kira laughed through it, sobbing.
“Mom,” she kept saying. “You’re talking. You know who I am.”
Irina stroked her hair. “Of course I do.”
I stepped closer, staying just behind Kira.
“Mom,” she said after a moment, pulling back just enough. “This is Maksym.”
Irina looked me over. “I remember him.”
Kira gripped my hand tightly. “We’re together now.”
Her mother’s eyebrows lifted. “Did your father approve of that?”
She hesitated, her lips parting just slightly before she gave a slow nod. Her voice came out soft but steady. “Yes,” she said. “He did.”
I could read Kira’s thoughts as clearly as if she’d spoken them—this wasn’t the moment to tell her Roman was rotting six feet under. She looked lighter, like she was crawling her way back to the surface. One wrong word could drag her under again.
Irina studied her, then looked at me. “Is he treating you well?”
Kira turned to me, and something lit behind her eyes. “He’s the sweetest.”
I barked a laugh. “God, don’t say that in public.”
Irina laughed. Actually laughed.
Kira sat down beside her and took her hands gently. “You look so much better. The last time I saw you, I could barely recognize you.”
“They’ve given me new medication,” Irina said. “It helps. And therapy. Every day. I think I’m healing now. Back at the house... it was the men. Your father’s enemies. I always thought they’d come for me. I never felt safe.”
She gave a hollow laugh, eyes dropping to the table. “And the orgies—God, the things I saw. They kept me sicker than the drugs ever did.”
Kira’s face darkened with rage.
Behind them, I stood still, jaw clenched. If I could’ve killed that monster again, I would’ve. Twice.
She lifted her mother’s hands, kissed them lightly, and smiled through a tremble.“You seem stronger. More like yourself. It gives me hope, Mom.”She glanced at me for a breath, then back to Irina. “Maybe you’ll be able to leave here soon. And if you do, maybe you could stay close.Because… we might need you soon.”
Irina blinked. “What do you mean?”
Kira’s fingers tightened slightly around her mother’s. Her eyes darted to me again, then settled back on Irina’s face. “You’re going to be a grandmother.”
For a second, the room stood still. Then Irina’s lips parted. “Oh my God.” Her voice broke as tears welled in her eyes. “You’re… pregnant?”
Kira nodded, smiling through tears of her own.
Irina’s arms reached for her, and they embraced tightly. After a beat, Irina stood and pulled me into the hug too. I froze—surprised, unsure—then returned it with the barest pressure. Her frame was frail, but the gesture felt real.
I barely dared to breathe, afraid I might break the spell. Could this be it? A life beyond blood and ruin? Kira, my fierce girl. Our kid. Her mother in the picture, not just surviving, but healing. If this was what peace looked like, I’d carve it out with my own hands. I’d defend it to my last breath.
Irina pulled back, wiping her eyes. “Of course I want to support you both. I would love that more than anything. I just… I hope I can. I feel normal. The medicine helps. But still…”
